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DOD Announces New Teleworking Policy

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2012  The Department of Defense today announced a new policy that will promote more teleworking across the civilian workforce, according to a DOD news release.

Changes to the existing telework policy were prompted by the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, officials said, and will help DOD achieve greater flexibility in managing its workforce.

"Telework is a powerful tool, one that helps DOD maximize the agility it needs to operate in all kinds of conditions, while promoting workforce efficiency and quality of life," Paige Hinkle-Bowles, deputy assistant secretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said in the release.

The new policy requires DOD leaders to promote telework within their respective components, make every effort to overcome artificial barriers to program implementation, authorize telework for the maximum number of positions without compromising mission readiness, and integrate telework into continuity of operations activities.

The Defense Department finds telework to not only be an effective recruiting and retention tool and key to quality of work-life, but also an integral readiness strategy when planning for continuity of operations during a crisis or emergency.